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Joy pushed me almost into him. “I dressed her up for you.”
“God bless you, Joy.” Duke’s blue eyes raked over me like he didn’t quite know what to do with himself; my nerves turned into something else entirely…heat.
“Say somethin’,” I said once Joy went back into her store.
Duke looked me up and down, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I don’t think I should.”
I arched a brow. “Why not?”
His gaze dragged from my bare shoulders to the dip of the red dress at my waist, then back up again. “Because I was raised to be a gentleman.”
I snorted. “By Nash?”
Duke grinned. “Fair point.” He opened the passenger door of the truck. “Get in, darlin’. Before I say something I can’t take back.”
We drove the short distance to Blackwood Prime.
I continued to feel nervous. People would see us. People would seemedressed up, and they’d know. The thought made me uneasy, but it also made me feel good because it meant that Duke was publicly acknowledging there was something between us. What that was wasn’t clear tome, but I couldn’t deny that the old chemistry was still there, sparking nerve endings.
Duke put a hand on the small of my back as he ushered me into the restaurant. “Florecita, you look amazing and…,” he paused when we came to the hostess table, “mine.”
He took my hand in his, and I wondered what the hell I was doing with this man I loved. I’d get hurt, and this time it would hurt like a motherfucker.
By the time we slid into a booth at Blackwood Prime, I was freaking the hell out.
Duke ordered the wine, a bottle of something red. I didn’t know wine from my ass—actually, I didn’t know much about anything but whiskey, and what I knew there wasn’t much to write home about. I knew beer—but I just got whatever was on tap. It wasn’t like I didn’t come to Blackwood Prime, I did since Maverick owned the restaurant.But when we met up, I usually sat at the bar in jeans and a button-down.
“It’s my first date,” I blurted out when Duke filled my wine glass.
He quirked an eyebrow. “What?”
“First time…ah…usually, I just…you know, meet someone and go to you know, to….” I was pretty sure you were not supposed to talk about having sex with other men with your date. That didn’t sound particularly dignified.
“You and I went on dates.”
“By the river,” I reminded him.
“With a picnic basket and a blanket,” he countered, then softened. “You’ve never gone to a restaurant with a man?”
“I have.” I bit my lower lip. “With friends. You know…Hunt or Mav or…like that.”
He studied me and smiled. “I guess I’m going to have to take you out on a whole lot of dates to make up for that.”
That eased something inside me. “You have a lot of practice?” I chided.
He set the wine bottle down. “Yes, baby, I do, but that’s because I’ve been working up to being here with you.”
I made a face. “You have a silver tongue, Duke Wilder. Never known a man to string words as smoothly as you do.”
“I try.” He picked up my hand and brought it to hislips. He kissed my knuckles. “I can’t tell you how many dreams are coming true tonight, Elena.”
Tears pricked my eyes at his sincerity.
“No, baby, let’s be happy; don’t you think we deserve that?” he pleaded. “I don’t want you sad; you’ve had a lifetime of it, and so have I. We have each other now, and I’m going to cherish every second of it—and makeushappy.”
I sniffled and controlled my tears. He was right. Instead of being afraid that I’d get hurt in the future, maybe I should live in the moment and behappy. We’d both been through the wringer thanks to our parents, and we didn’t have to keep living in the past.
“T-Bone or New York Strip?” I asked to lighten the mood.